Calendar No. 63. 


62d Congress. 


SENATE. 



Report 
No. 78. 


1st Session. 


PUBLICITY OF POLITICAL CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS. 


June 19, 1911. —Ordered to be printed. 


K 

Mr. Dillingham, from the Committee on Privileges and Elections, 
submitted the following 


-REPORT, 


[To accompany H. It. 2958.] 


The Committee on Privileges and Elections, to whom was referred 
H. R. 2958, an act to amend an act entitled “An act providing for 
publicity of contributions made for the purpose of influencing elec¬ 
tions at which Representatives in Congress are elected,” having con¬ 
sidered the same, beg to report as follows: 

The question of large contributions to the campaign funds of 
political organizations in the United States is one which has attracted 
the attention of all thoughtful people, and Congress has sought to 
eradicate the evils connected with the system. The act of 1907 
(34 Stat. L., p. 864) prohibits any national bank, or any corporation 
organized by authority of Congress, to make a money contribution 
in connection with any election to any political office. It also pro¬ 
hibits any corporation whatever to make a money contribution in 
connection with an election at which presidential and vice presi¬ 
dential electors, or a Representative in Congress, is to be voted for, 
or in connection with any election by any State legislature of a United 
States Senator. 

To further do away with the evils of the system, the act of June 25, 
1910, was adopted providing that publicity be given to contributions 
made for the purpose of influencing elections at which Representa¬ 
tives in Congress are elected. It applies to the national committees 
of all political parties, the national congressional campaign commit¬ 
tees, associations, or organizations which shall in two or more States 
influence, or attempt to influence, the result of an election at which 
Representatives in Congress are to be elected. Such committees are 
compelled to keep exact accounts of all money, or its equivalent, re¬ 
ceived by or promised to them to be disbursed by them; the names 
of the persons, firms, associations, or committees from whom the 
same are received or promised, and to whom paid; and it is made the 
duty of the Treasurer of every such political committee, within 30 















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PUBLICITY OF POLITICAL CAMPAIGN DOCUMENTS. 


days after the election at which Representatives are chosen to file with 
the Clerk of the House of Representatives an itemized, detailed, and 
sworn statement of the same. It contains a further provision that 
any person, firm, association, or committee, excepting political com¬ 
mittees, who shall contribute more than $50 for the purpose of in¬ 
fluencing in two or more States the result of an election at which 
Representatives are elected, unless he or she shall contribute same to 
a political committee, shall file similar reports. 

House bill 2958, herewith reported, seeks to amend the act of 1910 
in several particulars. Its mam feature, however, is contained in an 
amendment to section 5 of said acts which requires an itemized, 
detailed, and sworn statement covering all of the features before 
mentioned, to be filed not more than 15 nor less than 10 days before 
any election, and every third day thereafter until the election, as well 
as a final statement to be filed within 30 days after an election, as now 
provided. The committee is of the opinion that the importance of 
giving full publicity to contributions of this character is so great, 
and the demand of the people for such publicity so earnest, that 
preelection statements should be required and tried out in practice. 

But the committee are of the opinion that the scope of the measure 
should be broadened and its provisions be made more comprehen¬ 
sive by extending its operation so as to give publicity to all campaign 
contributions and expenses at primary elections where congressional 
nominations are made, and all general elections where Representa¬ 
tives to Congress are chosen, also at all primary elections held for 
nomination of Senators in the Congress of the United States, all 
general elections at which candidates for that office are seeking in¬ 
dorsement, and all elections of United States Senators by legislatures 
of the several States, and that for this purpose the act should require 
all candidates at any of said elections, whether as Representatives 
or Senators in Congress, to make and file with the Clerk of the House 
of Representatives or with the Secretary of the Senate of the United 
States, as the case may be, both before and after said elections, 
itemized statements covering all amounts received and expended 
by pr for them to further their election. 

The reason for such a requirement lies in the fact that in many of 
the States a nomination either as Representative or Senator in Con¬ 
gress is equivalent to an election and the major portion of the cam¬ 
paign expenses of candidates is incurred at such primaries rather 
than at the ultimate election. In other words, the ultimate election 
of Senators and Representatives is, in a large number of instances, 
practically controlled by some form of primary election precedent 
thereto. And if publicity of campaign contributions and expenses 
is desirable in one class of cases it is desirable in all, and in addition 
to the general benefits to be derived from such publicity each House 
of Congress will be better prepared to judge of the election and quali¬ 
fication of its Members. 

In the opinion of the committee the House bill requires amendment 
in several minor particulars, and they therefore recommend that it be 
amended as follows: 

In line 3, on page 1, after the word “five,” strike out the word 
“and” and insert in lieu thereof a comma, and after the word “six” 
insert the words “and eight.” 



PUBLICITY OF POLITICAL CAMPAIGN DOCUMENTS. 3 

In line 1, on page 2, strike out the word “third” and substitute 
therefor the word “sixth.” 

They further recommend that section 8 of the act of June 25, 1910, 
be amended, and therefore recommend that after line 2, on page 4, 
of the House bill reported herewith there be added the following: 

Sec. 8. That any person may in connection with such election incur and pay from 
his own private funds for the purpose of influencing or controlling, in two or more 
States, the result of an election at which Representatives to the Congress of the United 
States are elected, all necessary personal expenses for his traveling, for stationery, and 
postage, and for telegraph and telephone service without being subject to the pro¬ 
visions of this act. 

To broaden the scope of the pending measure and to make it more 
comprehensive in its operation, as before indicated, the committee 
recommend that after the above insertion there be added the fol¬ 
lowing : 

Sec. 2. That sections eight (as above amended), nine, and ten of the act of June 
twenty-fifth, nineteen hundred and ten, be renumbered as sections nine, ten, and 
eleven, and that a new section be inserted after section seven of the said act of June 
twenty-fifth, nineteen hundred and ten, to read as follows: 

“Sec. 8. Every person who shall be a candidate for nomination at any primary 
election or for election at any general election as Representative in the Congress of 
the United States shall, not less than ten nor more than fifteen days before the day 
for holding such primary election, and not less than ten nor more than fifteen days 
before the day of the general election at which candidates for Representatives are to 
be nominated or elected, file with the Clerk of the House of Representatives at Wash¬ 
ington, District of Columbia, a full, correct, and itemized statement of all moneys and 
things of value received by him, or by any one for him with his knowledge, from any 
source, in aid or support of his candidacy, together with the names of all those who 
have furnished the same in whole or in part, and such statement shall contain a true 
and itemized account of all moneys and things of value disbursed or used by such can¬ 
didate, or by his agents or representatives, so far as known or understood by such 
candidate to have been so disbursed or used, in any manner whatsoever, together with 
the names of ail those to whom any and all such disbursements were made for the pur¬ 
pose of securing his nomination or election. 

“Every person who shall be a candidate for nomination at any primary election, 
or for indorsement at any general election, or election before the legislature of any 
State as Senator in the Congress of the United States, shall, not less than ten nor 
more than fifteen days before the day for holding such primary election, and not 
less than ten nor more than fifteen days before the day of the general election at 
which he is seeking indorsement, and not less than five nor more than ten days before 
the day upon which the first vote is to be taken in the two houses of the legislature 
before which he is a candidate for election as Senator, file with the Secretary of the 
Senate at Washington, District of Columbia, a full, correct, and itemized statement 
of all moneys and things of value received by him, or by any one for him with his 
knowledge, from any source, in aid or support of his candidacy, together with the 
names of all those who have furnished the same in whole or in part; and such state¬ 
ment shall contain a true and itemized account of all moneys and things of value 
disbursed or used by such candidate, or by his agents or representatives, so far as 
known or understood by such candidate to have been so disbursed or used, in any 
manner whatsoever, together with the names of all those to whom any and all such 
disbursements were made for the purpose of securing his nomination or election. 

“Every such candidate for nomination at any primary election, for indorsement 
or election at any general election, or for election by the legislature of any State, 
shall, within fifteen days after any such primary election, and within fifteen days 
after any such general election, and within fifteen days after the day upon which the 
legislature shall have elected a Senator, file with the Clerk of the House of Repre¬ 
sentatives, or with the Secretary of the Senate, as the case may be, a full, correct, and 
itemized statement of all moneys and things of value received by him, or by any one 
for him with his knowledge, from any source, in aid or support of his candidacy, 
together with the names of all those who have furnished the same in whole or in part; 
and such statement shall contain a true and itemized account of all moneys and 
things of value disbursed or used by such candidate, or by his agents or representatives, 
so far as known or understood by such candidate to have been disbursed or used, in 


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PUBLICITY OF POLITICAL CAMPAIGN DOCUMENTS. 


any manner whatsoever, up to, on, or after the day of such primary election, general 
election, or election by the legislature, together with the names of all those to whom 
any and all such disbursements were made for the purpose of securing his nomination, 
indorsement, or election. 

“Every such candidate shall include therein a statement of every promise or pledge 
made by him, directly or indirectly, or by anyone for him with his knowledge before 
the completion of any such primary or general election, or election by the legisla¬ 
ture, relative to the appointment or recommendation for appointment of any person 
to any position of trust, honor, or profit, either in the county, State, or Nation, or in 
any political subdivision thereof, or in any private or corporate employment, and if 
any such promise or pledge shall have been made, the name or names, the address 
or addresses, and the occupation or occupations of the person or persons to whom 
such promise or pledge shall have been made, shall be stated, together with a descrip¬ 
tion of the position relating to which such promise or pledge has been made; in the 
event that no such promise or pledge has been made by such candidate, that fact 
shall be distinctly stated. 

“Every such statement hereinbefore referred to shall be verified by the oath of the 
candidate, taken before an officer authorized to administer oaths under the law of the 
State in which he is a candidate, and shall be sworn to by the candidate in the dis¬ 
trict in which he is a candidate for Representative, or the State in which he i3 a can¬ 
didate for Senator, in the Congress of the United States. Provided , That if at the 
time of such primary or general election or election by the State legislature said candi¬ 
date shall be in attendance upon either House of Congress as a member thereof he may 
at his election verify such statement before any officer authorized to administer oaths 
in the District of Columbia.” 

The committee recommend that when so amended the bill do pass. 

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